


The Rain King

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 06:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2497367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He could imagine how fascinating it was to have a conversation with her about some historical moment in time or some political movement.  Hell, he could talk to her about coffee brands or Cukor films and probably love that just as much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rain King

**Author's Note:**

> The first story I wrote about this particular Dave and Erin was inspired totally by a Humans of New York post. This is another story in the “Funny Face” universe.

Erin groaned as she dug around the bottom of her backpack. This was ridiculous; it wasn’t even supposed to rain today. And this was no drizzle either. She would be soaked to the skin walking the six Morningside Heights blocks from the Columbia University Library to her off-campus apartment. 

In vain, and more than a little frustration, Erin dumped the contents of her backpack onto the carpet. Someone walking through the doors just looked at her but she ignored them. The umbrella was small so there was still a chance that she missed it. Though she rifled through her backpack six times, there was still a chance.

“Hey Funny face.”

She froze when she heard the name. Erin went back to packing her bag as if she didn’t hear a thing.

“Hey, Funny face, excuse me?”

She turned around and saw Dave Rossi walking toward her. He had a soft leather messenger bag strapped across his chest and a large black umbrella in his hand.

“Hello.”

“Do you remember me?” he asked.

“It’s a little difficult to forget you.”

“I don’t remember your name, I'm sorry.” Dave smiled. “The night comes back to me in bits and pieces. I remember Funny face, Canada, and something about leaving me in the bushes. Did we have a conversation about sword fighting and The Little Mermaid?”

“You did most of the talking.” Erin zipped her backpack and threw it over her shoulder.

“Please tell me I wasn’t an asshole.” He put his hand on his chest. “I swear I'm a nice guy but beer doesn’t always agree with me.”

“You were fine.”

“Then allow me to reintroduce myself.” he held out his hand. “I'm David Rossi.”

“Erin Strauss.” She shook his hand.

“Erin, something with an S. I remember that.”

“That’s me.” Erin nodded.

“Are you sure I was OK that night? I was in a special place just beyond three sheets in the wind.” Dave said. “I don’t usually drink like that but I’d had a bad week. You'll be happy to know that I swore off Colt 45 until the Red Sox win the World Series again, which means never.”

“And the world breathes a collective sigh of relief. I promise you that you were a gentleman; you said goodnight to me in four languages.”

“That’s pretty impressive for a drunk guy. I don’t evens peak four languages”

“Then it’s more impressive than I initially thought.” Erin said. “Something told me you probably weren’t fluent in Latvian.”

“You're even prettier than I remember.” Dave said. “And I already thought you were the prettiest girl in the world. Not that I just flirted with you because you were pretty; I knew we were soul mates the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“What happened to your beard?” Erin didn’t want to think about being soul mates with a guy she didn’t even know. And though drunken Dave had been rather endearing, she didn’t think she would ever see him again. Now this was going to be more than a moment.

“I shaved it a few days back. I don’t mind being scruffy but,” Dave stroked his five o’clock shadow. “I was approaching sasquatch territory. No one wants to hang around with a guy who resembles the Unabomber.”

“I wouldn’t.” she shook her head.

“Are you heading somewhere? I see you don’t have an umbrella and it’s really coming down out there. There's enough space for two under this one. There's enough room for five under this one.”

“I don’t want to take you out of your way, David.”

“That’s the second time that you called me David.”

“You're counting?” she asked.

“No one calls me by my whole name. Well my mom does when she's pissed, but no one else. Everyone just calls me Dave.”

“I'm not just everyone, you know. Unless you run around calling all the girls you see Funny face, then maybe I am. And here I thought I was special. The truth finally comes out.”

“Oh no, you are…I don’t.” Dave shook his head and smiled. “Wherever you need to go, Erin, I will walk with you. I don't care about going out of my way.”

“I was just heading home. This is very nice of you.”

“I'm a nice guy.” Dave said.

She smiled as he walked ahead and held one of the glass doors open. Students and others were still coming and going. It was dark out but not very late; the library would be open for a few more hours.

“Are you cold?” Dave asked. The rain brought a chill with it. Mid-March was rarely warm anyway, even though it supposedly went out like a lamb. Erin wore a purple 70s inspired v-neck dress with black trim. She also wore stockings and black Mary Janes with a chunky heel. He thought she looked amazing. Dave was casual in blue jeans and a gray Polo sweater. “You can take my jacket if you want.”

“I'm a little cold. I underestimated so many things today.” 

Dave slipped his messenger bag off and took off his gray fleece jacket. He helped Erin into it before putting his bag back on. “This is warm and cozy.”

“Thank you. So um, you want to go.”

“Yeah.”

Erin took a deep breath as Dave raised his umbrella. It was surely big enough for the two of them. She felt like she still had personal space but was able to stay dry. She looked at Dave while he looked straight ahead. 

“I was wondering about something.” She said. “Have you done a business model for your beer bong empire? That’s not something you want to go into with a dollar and a dream. It’s going to take work”

“Are you offering to help?” he asked.

“My Uncle is a small business owner. He runs his family’s beer garden in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. His paternal grandfather left it to him in his will. Uncle Mike would probably love to help.”

“I appreciate a woman who wants to shore up the financial security and legacy of her children.”

“It seems as if you haven’t forgotten everything.” Erin said.

“What man in his right mind would forget that Erin Strauss is going to be the mother of his children?”

“You should probably slow down on that. You don’t even know what my favorite food is. How could we possibly have children if you don’t know what to feed me?”

“Tell me everything, Funny face; I'm listening. What is your favorite food?”

“My mother makes the most amazing bangers and mash. I've been eating it all of my life. Luckily, I'm a fencer or I would probably be the size of a zeppelin. It’s the one thing I never turn down.”

“I can cook sausage and mashed potatoes.” Dave said. “The stomach is not just the way to a man’s heart.”

“I like intellectual stimulation as well.” she said. “That’s of the utmost importance.”

“Food and conversation…got it. Can I take you out sometime? I'm good at both of those.”

“I'm really busy, David. I'm not just saying that to let you down gently. I have a major, two minors, and I'm a student athlete. The fun never ends for me.”

“I'm a double major so I know what you mean.” Dave said.

“Really?” Erin looked at him. 

“I know that tone.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the ‘I can't believe this party animal has a double major. It must be beer and babes’.”

“I don’t think I would ever use the word babe in a sentence.” She shook her head. “What are your majors?”

“Sociology and Film Studies.” Dave replied.

“I'm sure there aren't two vastly different majors. How did that happen?”

“I want to change the world. I'm just not sure if I want to do it through academia or movies. I know it sounds crazy but I enjoy them both equally. Lots of other people I know have it all planned out, or at least they think they do. Right now I'm just learning everything I can and I’ll decide when the time is right to draw up my entire life plan.”

She actually felt the same way and it was refreshing to hear it coming from someone else’s mouth. Erin didn’t have a ton of close friends but Ursula knew she wanted to teach and write books. Her other close friend, Elizabeth Prentiss, knew she was going into politics of some kind. Erin was hardly so sure. Both of her parents were intelligent but had very different careers. 

And then there was her fencing. She’d just turned 20 years old; a long athletic career could be ahead of her. She was already an All-American and had placed 5th in the nation during her sophomore year. Her intent was to be in the top three for Junior Year and take an individual championship. Being a member of the U.S. Senior National Fencing while in college was possible as well. 

Some big name coaches had tried to woo her over the years. Erin had international experience as a junior elite athlete with many medals under her belt. She was a recognized name in World Elite Fencing as well as NCAA. She just wasn’t sure if going the Senior Elite route was what she wanted. 

So much of her life was already not her own. Erin wasn’t sure she was ready to give up the last tiny sliver of her freedom. Luckily there was time. Not a whole lot, but just enough.

“You're doing just as much work as I am with a major and two minors.” Dave said.

“It helps that my studies has similarities,” Erin said. “There are even classes that overlap in the department. I'm a history major with minors in political science and American Studies.”

“What made you pick all of those to study?”

“The simple answer is that I'm a nerd.” She replied.

“What's the complicated answer?”

“That’s a little more complicated.”

When Erin smiled, Dave did as well. She was more than just a pretty face. He knew that the night he met her, and not just because she told him so. Erin intrigued him; Dave never wanted to stop listening to her talk. He could imagine how fascinating it was to have a conversation with her about some historical moment in time or some political movement. Hell, he could talk to her about coffee brands or Cukor films and probably love that just as much. 

He was trying to put his finger on it, trying to figure out just what she was did to him. He'd only seen her in a drunken instant but it was something. Dave knew lots of women. He’d dated his fair share and bedded even more than that. Calling Dave Rossi a ladies man wouldn’t be an unfair statement. 

But a woman like Erin Strauss made a man want to settle down and see where life together would take them. Maybe he was just a dumb old hopeless romantic under all that swagger of his. It was possible that he was also delusional. Dave wasn’t prepared to argue about that.

“How did you get into sword fighting, I mean fencing…I'm sorry. I'm going to stop doing that soon. I didn’t think it was a popular sport in America; surely not in the 20th century.”

“Well it doesn’t fill the seats like a football game but there is a thriving fencing community that I'm proud to be a part of. My maternal grandmother was a fencer in her native France; my mother was growing up in Cornwall and Strasbourg. She took me to my first lessons at five because I had tons of energy. We lived in a condo so she wanted me to have someplace where there was room to be free. 

“That didn’t make a whole lot of sense since you only get to move a couple of feet in a fencing match. But I took to it. I did epee fencing until I was nine and then moved to foil, as my height was better suited for it. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Don’t get me started on fencing…I can go all day.”

“I don’t mind one bit.” Dave said. “I like listening to you talk. I could do this all day; or all night if you want to let me take you out.”

“The NCAA Fencing Championships are next Saturday.” Erin said. “Next week I have two midterms and practice four evenings. I'm fourth in the nation in foil fencing. One of my teammates is number 2. I really like her; we've been competing side by side since freshman year. I intend to kick her ass next week. That means I have to be my absolute best.”

“Is that a polite way of saying no, Funny face?”

“I can't.” she shook her head and looked at him. “It sounds nice, and I can admit it’s been a while since I've been out on a date. My schedule is just too full right now.”

“So that’s a maybe later?” Dave raised an eyebrow.

“I think we’ll just call it an ‘I don't know’. I don’t know anything right now. I'm running like a fine tuned machine. You can't add something and think it won't affect overall performance for better or worse.”

“You're very fine tuned, if I do say so myself.”

“You're not allowed to make indirect comments about my body.”

“Am I allowed to hold your hand?” He asked.

Erin smiled, holding it out for him. He looked at her and tried to push away the fact that he wanted to kiss her breathless. Dave hardly knew her but he knew there was something. He wanted to explore that something. He wanted to know Erin Strauss in every way possible. Surely his life would be the better for it. He'd been wrong about a lot of things but he wasn’t wrong about that.

“Maybe I can come and see you swordfight. Damn, I know it’s not sword fighting but I keep imagining you sword fighting and that makes me smile. I’d love to see you in action, pumping fear into the hearts of women everywhere.”

“The NCAA Championships are being hosted by Yale this year in New Haven. I wouldn’t ask you to travel that far.”

“Can I come to a practice?” he asked. “I promise I won't bother you. I just want to see how it’s done. Ever since I read that blurb about you in the paper I admit to being fascinated by the entire thing. I thought it might be fun.”

“Are you free on Thursday?” Erin asked. “Practice is from four to six thirty at LeFrak Gym. We’re usually at Dodge but there’s some kind of intramural sports tournament there on Thursday evening.” 

She’d just brushed him off for a date and was now inviting him to come to practice. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking or if she was thinking at all. The truth was that she’d dated two guys since coming to Barnard and neither ever asked to come to one of her practices or matches. The only reason her first college boyfriend Mark Gregory was there was because he fenced for Columbia. And Erin learned quickly that the couple that plays together rarely stays together. Thankfully he’d graduated last year.

“I’ll be there.” Dave nodded.

“OK. I live right up this block so…”

“I can walk you to the door. I don’t feel comfortable letting you walk alone in the cold rain. I'm sure you can walk on your own but I'm a bit um…mostly I'm a gentleman.” He said as they crossed the street. It really wasn’t late and there were a good amount of people walking around given the weather. But they were in Manhattan so there was always a good amount of people walking around.

“I kind of did that to you.” Erin said.

“But I said it was OK. Oh, I get it; you're saying it’s OK too.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You'll be wet.” He reasoned.

“Wet for a half block is so much better than wet for six. I appreciate your walking me home considering you live in the Village.”

“I'm about to give up my apartment. What I should say is I'm about to get thrown out of my apartment. I won't bore you with the details.”

“You're going to be homeless?” Erin sounded mortified. She knew a lot of students who struggled with the costs of school and living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It wasn’t easy for a lot of them; not all Ivy League kids were rich like people imagined. Last year, when she volunteered six hours a week for Student Housing, she saw it firsthand.

“Jason is going to let me crash in his half bedroom.” Dave replied. “It’s got enough room for a bed and dresser but this is me not complaining about that. I was worried it could go south fast, the roommate thing, you know like Fred and Barney. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. If we could survive as strangers in a freshman dorm together, we could do this for a little while. I’ll find my own place somewhere this summer.”

“Who are Fred and Barney?”

“Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Every time something bad happens for Barney and Betty, they go to stay with Fred and Wilma. Barney must be horrible with money because it’s happened more than once. The men soon learn that even the best of friends can outwear their welcome.”

“That’s just a cartoon, David.” Erin said.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not full of real life situations.”

“Um,” she laughed. “That’s exactly what it means.”

“You should go.” Dave let go of her hand.

“Oh, I…”

“I don’t mean that I want you to go. I just don’t want to kiss you and ruin what has been a really pleasant walk. What I mean to say is that I do want to kiss you. I want to kiss you so bad my lips are burning.”

“They have creams for that.”

“You are…” he laughed. “Damn Funny face, you really got me.”

“Thank you for walking me home. I’ll see you next Thursday evening.”

“I’ll bring popcorn and a Big Gulp. Hey, I can make one of those huge signs of encouragement. You have no idea how excellent I am with oak tag and Sharpies.”

“Goodnight.”

Erin thought she might kiss his cheek but walked away instead. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. Dave seemed like a really cool guy but Erin Strauss didn’t just go around kissing strange boys. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t see him again. She was sure he’d be at her practice on Thursday. Quickly jogging, with no hope of staying dry, Erin turned and looked. Dave did a little wave and she responded in kind. 

Once he saw her go inside the converted brownstone, he went in the other direction. He needed to get back to the apartment and do a little reading before bed. There was a quiz tomorrow in his Deviance and Social Control class. Dave was a little peeved by a Friday morning quiz but there were worse things in the world. Right now he didn’t want to think about it. All that was on his mind at the moment was talking to Jason. Dave wanted to ask how many miles were between Columbia and Yale and if his best friend wanted to do a road trip next weekend.

***


End file.
